Car truck



H. H. MOHL.

CAR TRUCK Filed Sept. 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Harold H. Mok/Z aux? v'- ATTORNEYS SAW-- aww@ H. H. .MOHL

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CAR TRUCK Filed Sept. 26, 1941 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVEYITOR @raid H oir/Z f he ATTORNEYS Patem'd Apr. 1s, 1944 s ICAR. TRUCK n Y ,Y Harold H. Mohl, Davenport, Iowa, assignor, by mesne assignments, to McConway a: Torley Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 26, 1941, Serial No. 412,453 l 3 Claims. (Cl. 10S-186) This inventionrelates to freight car trucks and more particularly to the cushion support and lateral motion provision for the car body, and has for its object to provide effective spring cushion in which excessive vibratory movements` of the supporting springs are prevented and to provide an eiective lateral motion device in combination with said spring cushion.

When the speed of travel of a railway car is such thatr impacts of the truck wheels upon regularly spaced rail joints coincide with the natural vibration frequency of the supporting spring, the sprisng vibrates with an increasing amplitude of movement which imparts to the car body an increasing vibratory movement resulting in a heavy shock when the amplitude of vibration has built up to a' point sufficient to drive the springs solid.

Springs may be provided for light cars Vwhich permit -travel at speeds higher than the critical speed referred to. However, such springs are too soit to provide cushioning action for an ordinary freight car loaded to capacity. On the other hand, a light car may be provided with springs whose natural frequency is considerably above ordinary running speeds so that harmonic oscillations are not encountered for light loads. However, while such springs can carry the maximum car loads, they are much too stiff to adequately cushion the light car and furthermore, heavy loads reduce the critical period tosuch an extent as to place it in the range of desired running` Speeds, so that harmonic oscillations are encountered with heavy loads.

- In general freight service, the 'loads carried vary as much as 400% andl it is, therefore, obvious that means to prevent harmonicoscillation for any particular running speed cannot be devised since the critical speed varies with the load. Damping means such as snubbers have been extensively used, but if powerful enough to -be effective during the periods in which the car vis traveling at critical speeds, the damping means without undue stiiening of the cushion at any,

speed or load. s

`With the above and other objects in view the be apparent to one skuied in the art to which the invention pertains.

Reference sh'ould be had to the accompanying Figure 1 is a side elevation of a truck embody- .Y ing the invention, portions oi the side frame.

invention may be said to comprise the freight y car truck as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, hereinafter described and particularly v set forth in the appended claims, togetl 1er with bolster and bolster 'cushioning members being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a. section taken on the une imno-ital at 2-2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line indicated at 3 3 in Fis. 1;

s Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a truck of slightly modified construction;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line indicated Eig. 6 is a-section taken on the line indicated at 6-9 in Fig. 4.

In the accompanying drawings one side frame.

together with the bolster supporting cushioning elements carried'by that side frame, is illustrated, it being understood that the construction shown is duplicated at the opposite side of the truck as is common practice in the art Referring to the accompanying drawings, the truck is provided with side frame l having journal boxes 2 at its ends, which receive the supporting axles, a top compression chord 3, a bottom tension chord l, and spaced columns 5 connecting the top and bottom chords and providing a centralopening 6. The' bolster 1 has an end portion projecting through the opening 6,

the bolster 1 extending across the space between I the side frames and providing a support for the car body. The columns 5 are disposed vertically and are in the form of oppositely facing channels having side flanges 8 which serve to guide -a vertical movable bolster supporting member 9.

The bolster supporting member9 has a portion I0 fitting between the anges 8 and shoulders Il engageable with the edges of the flanges 8. The supporting member 9 has spaced upstanding flanges l2 which provide a channel in which the end of the bolster is received. The supporting memberv 9 is spring supported, the spring support as herein illustrated being a group of coil springs I3. The supporting member 9 rests upon the upper ends of the springs 'I3 and the lower ends of the springs are supported upon lower supporting member I4, which is .mounted for vertical movement in the frame and which is supported upon a lower set of springs I5 interposed between the member I4 and the -bottom'chord l of the side frame. The springs I 3v may be supported upon the spring plank I 3 which may or may not be an integral part of the supporting member I4, as desired.

The portion of the,bottom chord 4 beneath the opening 3 is in the form of an upwardly facing channel having a bottom web I'I and side walls Il which terminate at `their upper edges in horizontal outwardly extending flanges I9. The lower supporting member I4 has downturnedilanges 23 at the ends thereof which are of a 'length to enter the space between the side walls Il of the bottom chord channel, and vertical cross webs 2| are provided on the side frame adiacent the ends of the member I4 and acrossethe bottom chord channel which coact with-the flanges 20 to guide the member I4 vertically. A car body is supported through the bolster 1 by the superimposed sets of springs I3 and I I and the springs I5 are of sumcient strength to normally support the member I4 above the bottom chord of the side frame. 'I'he member I4 is of a width to overlie the flanges I9 of the bottom chord, so that the movement of the springs I5 under applied pressure is limited by the engagement of the member I4 with the anges l! which serve as stops to limit the compression of the springs I5. The capacity of the springs I5 is preferably such that the member I4 is supported slightly above the stop flanges I9 under the weight of a car body loaded to capacity, so that the stops come into action only when the springs I5 are subjected to abnormal Vpressures due to impact or vibration. If desired, the stop flanges I9 may be faced with suitable cushioning pads 22 composed of suitable material, such as rubber and fabric.

The upper supporting member 3 has inclined portions 23 at opposite ends thereof and wedge blocks 24 are interposed between the inclined end portions 23 and the guide columns 5. The wedge blocks 24 are each provided with an inclined inner wall 25 which bears against the inclined end portions 23 of the member 3 and vertical outer walls 23 which bear against the guide columns. Suitable wear plates 21 of hardened steel or the like may be attached to the inner faces of the columns 5 to take the wear of the wedge blocks. Coil springs 23 are interposed between the bottoms of the wedge blocks 24 and horizontal ledges` 29 formed on the side frame adjacent the lower ends of the columns and directly beneath the wedge blocks.

A car having springs such as springs I3 and I5 and traveling upon a railway track at the critical speed for the combination, of springs will tend to vibrate vertically with the springs. If the capacity of the spring Il besuch that with a full load the supporting member I4 is normally positioned close to but above the stop flanges I9, the stop flanges will provide an effective means for breaking up this harmonic oscillation. Any harmonic vibration will set up a bouncing movement sumcient to seat support-` ing member I4 on the stop flanges I9, thereby limiting the deflection of spring Il and raising the period of vibration of the spring combination. Under these conditions the frequency constant of the spring combination changes from one value to another and back again before car body oscillation can build up to any great extent.

However, this harmonic breaking action cannot be obtained with light loads 'since under these conditions the supporting member I4 is a considerable distance above the stop flanges Il bounce badly in order to seat the supporting member on the flanges. K Furthermore, while it is generally preferable to make the springs Il stiff enough to position the supporting member I4 a short distance above flanges I9, under full load conditions there areconditions under which it is desirable to seat the supporting member before full load is reached. Under these conditions the heavysprings I3 are working alone and without benefit 'otfthe differential action explaine'd above. Accordingly, it is desirable to introduce additionaldam'ping means to control these last mentioned conditions.

'Ihe friction snubber describedabove meets these requirements. The wedge blocks 24 impart an increasing resistance to the downward movement of the bolster as the springs 23 are compressed and, since the springs 2l' are interposed between the wedge blocks 24 and the side -frame I, the compression of the springs 2l. is

equal to the sum of the compression of the springs I3 ,and I5. The variation in snubbing action due to' variations in load is directly proportional to the load until the supporting member seats upon the side frame flanges I9. Beyond that point the springs I3 may compress further, adding an equal compression increment to the springs 23; but since the springs I! cannot compress'further, the snubbing action is increased at a reduced rate.

Since the critical speed for an empty car with the type of spring cushion shown is likely to lie in the desired operating range, spring damping for empty'cars and lightly loaded cars is highly desirable. However, I the damping forces need not be great because the load is light and comparatively little energy need be absorbed in order to stop harmonic oscillation. Under heavy loads the critical speed is reduced below the desired operating speeds so that little trouble from harmonics is experienced. Furthermore, because of the harmonic breaking action of the differential spring group, little more snubbing force is needed under heavy loads to control harmonic action. Any snubbing forces in excess of the minimum required will be objectionable since the spring group is stiifened and shock transmission from roadbed to car is increased.

In order to reduce lateral shocks to the' car body it is desirable to provide some means whereby the truck can move laterally with respect to the car body in response to track irregularities. Numerous constructions have been de.- vised to provide for this lateral motion, the two most frequently used being swing hangers and roller motion. While swing hangers are common and effective, they require the use of a transom from which the bolster is hung by means of the hangers. The principal objections are that the transom is a heavy member adding .excess weight to the truck and that it is dimcult to provide a single snubber to control the action of all the springs in the truck.

Roller motion as shown in the drawings overcomes the above objections. The bolster I is mounted upon rollers such` as 30 disposed transversely of the bolster and between the end of the bolster and the supporting member l. 'Ihe supporting member 9 as previously described is closely guided to move with the side frame 3 on all lateral movements, but by reason of the roller `support, the bolster may move laterally within limits with respect to the side frame. Thus, lateral movements of the truckitself caused by and the car body would have to oscillate or 1I track irregularities are not transmitted to the vide lateral motion, any yielding connection between the bolster ends and the supporting memper 9 is satisfactory. It is to be noted here that the wedge blocks 23 exert controlling forces over all the supporting springs between the side frames and the car body support, or in other words, the wedge blocks exert controlling forces over all springs between sprung and unsprung weights If it is not desired to provide for lateral motion, the connection between the bolster ends and the supporting members 9 may be rigid or the supporting member 9 may bean integral partof the bolster. In either case the action of the snubber is the same.

In Figs. 4 to 6 of the drawings a slightly modined structure is disclosed in which the upper supporting springs lf3 rest upon a lower supporting member Ila. The member Ma is somewhat longer than the supporting member le in the modincation ilrst described, the spring supportdescribed ior'purposes of illustration, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is: 1. In a car truck having a car body supporting bolster and axle supported side frames, an upper member and the side frame.

ing ledges 29 are eliminated and the member Isa,

which is guided between vertical websZia, pro.- vides a supportfor the lower ends of the snubber springs 28a. By reason of the greater length of the supporting member Ma, the springs la may be positioned further apart so as to transmit the load to portions of the side frame adjacent the lower end of the guide columns. The hari monic braking action of the stops le is the same as in the modiication rst described, but the springs 28a being interposed between the wedge blocks 24 and the supporting member instead of between the wedge blocks 24 and a xed portion or the frame, have uniform increase in compression upon increase in load imposed upon the bolster. This is true since the compression in the springs 28a is always equal to compression in springs I3 and the compression in these springs is always in proportion to the load. It is obvious that the springs 2B and 28a must have diiierent compression rates since the springs 28a are subl ect to less total deection.

If desired, another coil may be placed under the center of the supporting member Ma in order to more evenly distribute the load on the side frame, or if desired, one of the common types of snubber indicated at 3| may be used. This auxiliary snubber may be fairly light to supplement the action of the main snubber when the car has a light or medium load and which also serves to reduce the force of impacts against the stop angea I8.

It is to be understood that variations and modiilcations oi the specific device herein shown and bolster supporting member mounted for vertical movement in each side frame, a lower supporting member mounted for vertical movement in each side frame, a set of cushioning springs interposed between said upper and lower members, a set of cushioning springs interposed between said lower member and the side frame, 'stops engageable with said lower supporting member upon imposition of abnormal pressure on the springs for limiting the movement of said lower sets of springs, a snubber for applying a gradually increasing resistance to movements of the bolster supporting member in a downward direction, and a second snubberinterposed between the lower supporting 2. A car truck having a body supporting bol; ster, a side frame having top and bottom chords and spaced columns between the chords forming a bolster opening, a bolster supporting member guided for vertical movement between said columns, a lower supporting member mounted for vertical movement in said opening below said upper member, a yielding connection between the bolster and bolster supporting member to permit lateral movement of the bolster with respect to the side frames, cushioning springs interposed between said upper and lower members, cushioning springs interposed between said lower member and said bottom chord, wedges interposed between the ends of said upper member and the guide columns, seats on said lower supporting member, and springs interposed between said seats and wedges. A

3. In a car truck having a car bodysupporting bolster .and side frames, a bolster supporting member, a lower supporting member mounted for vertical movement in each side frame, a set of cushioning springs interposed between said bolster and lower supporting members, a set of cushioning springs interposed between said lower members and side frames, means acting to limit oscillations of the last-mentioned springs, a snubber for applying a gradually increasing resistance to movements of the bolster supporting4 member in a downward direction, and a second snubber interposed between the lower supporting member and the side frame.

HAROLD H. MOI-IL. 

